The client, who lives in a restructured farmhouse of the 60s on the site, asked to design a structure for renting out as luxury holiday units. Guests have their small autonomous apartment and can fully enjoy the experience of living in the middle of nature. A maximum degree of privacy for both the client and the residing guest were taken into consideration.
The new structure is oriented towards east with a private garden and autonomous access and parking for the guests. Each unit contains a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom with large skylights that open to allow natural light and ventilation. A small basement serves for temporary storage.
The project's volume is split into two units that are shifted slightly in height and length in order to loosen the entire structure and articulate each unit. Each unit floats on a base above the ground, which evokes a lightness and offers views of the impressive surrounding landscape from the cantilevered terraces. The volume opens to the east with a large glass facade that fades with curvilinear lines into the black aluminum shell. Mirrored glass on the west facade borders the garden of the client with the units and catches the surrounding panorama while making the units almost invisible. The mirrored glass is laminated with an UV coating to prevent birds from colliding.
From certain views of the owner's garden, the existing farmhouse is mirrored in the new contemporary architecture and literally blends into, rather then compete against it.
PROJECT: Mirror Houses, Bolzano, Italy
ARCHITECT: Peter Pichler Architecture
STATUS: built TYPE: residential units CLIENT: Angela Sabine Staffler
PHOTOGRAPHY: Oskar Da Riz, Nicolò Degiorgis